How a Sine Wave is Calculated, Frequency Peaks Visualized, and Harmonic Distortion Measured Using Calculus and FFT Analysis

John E. Johnson, Jr.September 4, 2025

Several Hi-Fi magazines use spectral analyzers to illustrate test signal peaks with their harmonic peaks for audio equipment. Did you ever...

PrimersTechnical

Development of Modern Anamorphic (Widescreen) Lenses from the Original “Cinemascope” Lenses of the 1950s

John E. Johnson, Jr.August 14, 2025

The development of anamorphic lenses marked a pivotal moment in the evolution of cinematic storytelling, significantly enhancing the...

TechnicalTechnical Reviews

How Does a Cathode Follower in a Tube Audio Circuit Work?

John E. Johnson, Jr.July 24, 2025

A cathode follower is a vacuum tube circuit commonly used in audio applications for impedance matching, buffering, and signal conditioning.

TechnicalTechnical Reviews

Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs): How They Are Manufactured

John E. Johnson, Jr.July 3, 2025

The manufacturing of Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) involves multiple steps, combining chemical, mechanical, and automated processes to...

PrimersTechnical

Dual Triode Vacuum Tubes 12AX7 and 12AU7 – Why They Are So Popular for Use in Audio Amplifiers

John E. Johnson, Jr.June 12, 2025

The 12AX7 and 12AU7 tubes serve different roles in an amplifier due to their distinct electrical characteristics. They are dual triode tubes...

TechnicalTechnical Reviews

The Differences Between ®Dolby Atmos and ®DTS: X

John E. Johnson, Jr.May 29, 2025

®Dolby Atmos and ®DTS:X are both object-based spatial audio formats, but they differ in terms of their mathematical processing, encoding...

PrimersTechnical

The Concept of Radiation Resistance and Speaker Driver Diameter – Why Woofers Have to be Large

John E. Johnson, Jr.May 15, 2025

In loudspeaker design, radiation resistance plays a crucial role in determining how efficiently a speaker converts electrical energy into...

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The Application of Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to Digital Audio Files

John E. Johnson, Jr.May 8, 2025

The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is applied to digital audio files in various scenarios, especially when analyzing or processing audio data.

PrimersTechnical

The Mathematics of How Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADC) and Digital-to-Analog Converters (DAC) for PCM Digital Music Recordings Do Their Job

John E. Johnson, Jr.April 17, 2025

An Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) transforms an analog signal, which is continuous in time and amplitude, into a digital signal, which is...

TechnicalTechnical ArticleTechnical Reviews

Analog Tape Recording and Playback Technology: The Principles, Practical Applications, and a Comparison to Digital Audio Recording

John E. Johnson, Jr.April 10, 2025

Analog tape recording and playback involve several mathematical principles and concepts, spanning from physics to signal processing.

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Testing the BluOS Wireless System with a NAD Masters M66 Streaming Preamplifier and PSB ALPHA IQ Wireless Speakers

John E. Johnson, Jr.April 2, 2025

BluOS is one several wireless music-playing formats that are currently available to consumers. It was released by the Lenbrook Group...

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Wireless Speakers: Past, Present, and Beyond – Part 3: Sonos

John E. Johnson, Jr.March 27, 2025

Sonos wireless technology is a proprietary multi-room audio system that allows users to stream music, podcasts, and other audio content...

TechnicalTechnical Reviews

Wireless Speakers: Past, Present, and Beyond – Part 5: Google Chromecast and Conclusions

John E. Johnson, Jr.March 27, 2025

Chromecast Audio is a wireless audio streaming device developed by Google that allows users to stream music from a smartphone, tablet, or...

TechnicalTechnical Reviews

Wireless Speakers: Past, Present, and Beyond – Part 2: BluOS

John E. Johnson, Jr.March 27, 2025

BluOS is a proprietary high-resolution multi-room audio streaming platform developed by Lenbrook International. It is designed to deliver...

TechnicalTechnical Reviews

Wireless Speakers: Past, Present, and Beyond – Part 1: Introduction and Bluetooth

John E. Johnson, Jr.March 27, 2025

Wireless speakers have revolutionized the way we experience sound, allowing users to enjoy high-quality audio without the constraints of...

TechnicalTechnical Reviews